Posts tagged ‘Francesca Cavello’

This excellent crowdfunded children’s book is flying out of the shop just now – when we were out of stock we were being asked about it every day.

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls features single-page stories about extraordinary women, and each is accompanied by an illustration from one of a range of talented international artists. This means that the book is a pleasure to dip into, and feels fresh and enjoyable to pick up.

The women included are from very diverse backgrounds, and are drawn from history as well as the present day. I was fascinated to read about Ashley Fiolek, a Deaf motocross racer born in the USA in 1990 who says: “I don’t think about vibrations; I don’t think about anything at all. I’m part of the bike now”. I also loved the story of the Cholita climbers of Bolivia, who decided that it need not be only men who got to see they view from the nearby mountain. And so they just set off, wearing their skirts (cholitas). Born around 1968, the group may be climbing something right now. I was also pleased to find the stories of women I was more familiar with, including Amelia Earhart, Maya Angelou, and Malala Yousafzai.

The stories are told in language suitable for primary age children and up. The book is from the US, and UK readers may not agree with every authorial interpretation of history given, but it’s still full of exciting stuff.